Even without the looming punishment from the Quiz Game, Billy Butcher already had every reason—and plenty of motivation—to go after Homelander for revenge.
From his perspective, this mission didn't even feel like a punishment. If anything, it was a reward.
Over the past few days, he had tried various ways to deal with Homelander and had gained a deeper understanding of his enemy.
Unfortunately, none of it was enough to bridge the power gap between them. All three of his attempts had ended in complete failure.
Tony shook his head.
"Trying to use regular explosives on him is basically suicide. We've fought Homelander before, and to a certain extent, the guy is practically invincible. Sure, if you gave me a little time, I could design an anti-Homelander suit to help you take him down and finish the job. But the problem is… even if I made the suit, you wouldn't be able to wear it."
"But you guys—when did the Multiverse Defenders fight Homelander?" Butcher asked, clearly baffled.
Annie quickly explained their previous special operation targeting Homelander, and added that Becca Butcher had already been safely rescued before the Quiz Game began.
Butcher slammed the brakes so hard they almost got rear-ended. He ignored the driver behind them cursing and Dr. Banner's polite warning. His eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists.
"Perfect! All I have to do is take out that bastard Homelander here, and everything's wrapped up nicely!"
Until now, he had been worried about his wife's situation and harbored some resentment toward the Quiz Game.
Sure, the Game had revealed the future—but it also publicly broadcasted the fact that his wife had cheated on him, making him a laughingstock. Worse, that future footage inevitably put Becca in danger.
So, upon entering this bizarre mission world, his first thought wasn't to execute the mission, but to see his long-lost wife again—even if her child was already grown and fathered by his worst enemy.
What could Billy Butcher do?
Of course, he forgave her.
Now that his last emotional burden was gone, Butcher's determination burned brighter than ever. He restarted the car, spun it around, and headed straight toward Vought's headquarters.
Tony Stark smirked.
"Love the fighting spirit, but that alone won't help you against Homelander."
Annie added, "Heading for Vought right now is basically walking into a trap."
"Killing Homelander isn't something you pull off in one or two tries. It's a long-term project. I need intel first," Butcher said, his tone finally all business.
When it came to taking down supes, Butcher was a seasoned veteran—and more importantly, he was stubborn enough, or maybe brave enough, to keep at it.
Homelander had traumatized countless people, Butcher included. But unlike most, he never saw Homelander as truly invincible. He had always been searching for the man's weaknesses.
And that alone already set him apart from the rest.
Before long, Butcher had found a place to stake out near Vought Tower.
In the meantime, Tony's group of four weren't just standing around watching. While they couldn't physically interact with the world, they could still offer valuable intel and even helped Butcher avoid several close calls on the way.
"At this time of day, Homelander isn't in the building. I just need a way to sneak in," Butcher muttered, scanning the surroundings.
Tony shrugged.
"The intel you're after? We could just walk in and grab it—no need for you to risk your neck."
Butcher shook his head.
"No. Some things I need to see with my own eyes to be sure."
Tony rolled his eyes.
"Great. You're just like Bruce and Nick—never trusting anyone else to do the job."
Honestly, he was half-tempted to abandon the rescue mission altogether. Following Butcher around like a ghost, unable to really help and getting no appreciation for it, was getting old fast.
But one glance at Annie and Maeve reminded him—this was his first mission as team leader with two rookies under his wing. No way he could just quit halfway.
He turned to Maeve.
"You know more about Vought and Homelander than anyone here. Got anything useful?"
Maeve thought for a moment.
"The only thing that comes to mind is Compound V. If Butcher can get a dose and inject it… with a bit of luck, he might stand a chance against Homelander."
Butcher eyed her suspiciously.
"And the powers you get from Compound V—are they controllable?"
Maeve shook her head.
"No. Completely random. Vought's been working to make it more predictable, but as far as I know, what you awaken is pure luck."
Tony raised a brow.
"So, Butcher—you're planning to use Compound V to get powers and go toe-to-toe with Homelander?"
Butcher hesitated, then nodded.
"Yeah. That's the idea."
With only twelve hours on the clock—and Homelander essentially immune to all conventional weapons—Butcher saw Compound V as his best shot.
The problem was, he had no idea what kind of powers he'd get. If he ended up with Aquaman's skill set or turned invisible like Translucent, it would be useless.
He had planned to infiltrate Vought for more data to see if the mutations could be controlled, but Maeve had already given him the bad news.
Tony waved his hand.
"Here's the plan: we get you a vial of Compound V, you inject it, and then you go pick a fight with Homelander."
Butcher frowned in thought, then finally nodded.
With no time to waste, they launched into action.
At this point, there were only two confirmed locations for Compound V:
One was Vought Tower.
The other was the CIA—the very vial Butcher had once handed over himself.
There were also certain Vought-funded hospitals that secretly conducted human trials with Compound V. But thanks to one of Butcher's earlier operations, one such hospital had been exposed, and Vought had already relocated all of its stock.
Other locations might exist, but finding them would take time—and they might be too far to reach before the clock ran out.
Maeve and Annie headed straight into Vought Tower. Before long, they sent back the good news: they'd found a vial of Compound V.